


My First Witcher Fic

by taylor_tut



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Caring Jaskier, Drowning, Gen, Hurt Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Major Character Injury, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22286344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylor_tut/pseuds/taylor_tut
Summary: Geralt almost drowns and Jaskier is there to help. Short and sweet.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 218





	My First Witcher Fic

Geralt came back to consciousness underwater and immediately realized that he'd breathed quite a bit of it in, and took a moment to focus not on the burning pain in his lungs or the air hunger that was starting to quicken his normally slow heartrate, but on where the surface was. It was dark and the light of the moon didn't penetrate far, but before he could start to think of other ways to figure out which way was up, Jaskier's doggy-paddling legs came into view, and he swam toward them. 

Jaskier grabbed for him needlessly as he drifted upward, and though he certainly could have pulled himself up and out of the water, for once in his life, he had someone who was willing to grip him tightly to let him just BREATHE, so why not take advantage of that? 

"Geralt," Jaskier was calling, he could just barely hear over the rush of the water and the sound of his own coughing, "you're okay. I've got you."

He wanted to reply, but he found that he couldn't. Geralt did assist as Jaskier pulled him to the edge of the river, partially because it would otherwise have taken forever to get there, and pulled himself halfway onto the beach before collapsing, his head swimming from the lack of air. A good deal of water was still coming up with every gagging cough, making an awful, sickly, strangled noise which didn't scare Jaskier off in the slightest—nothing that should turn him away ever did. 

"Geralt," he repeated, striking his back hard. It hurt and wasn't helping, so Geralt swatted his hand away. 

"Stop that," he commanded between heaving breaths. 

"Don't talk," Jaskier said, earning himself a glare. "Just breathe. You were under for a long time."

With his breath finally beginning to come back to him, Geralt closed his eyes and tried to control it, fighting off the quivering feeling of fullness in his chest because it ached too much to expel it. 

"Are you alright?"

"The Barghest," Geralt grunted in lieu of a reply. Jaskier had the nerve to roll his eyes. 

"Scurried off as soon as it threw you into the lake," he huffed. "I think the water frightened it. Are you alright?"

"I have to find it," Geralt insisted? He tried to sit up, but the movement made him dizzy and started him coughing once more. "I have to—"

"I'm going to keep asking until you reply," Jaskier interjected with a rare bite to his tone, "so you may as well just get on with it. Are. You. Alright?" 

"I'm FINE," Geralt barked curtly. "I need to find the beast and kill it before it kills again." 

When he dragged himself to his feet, Jaskier was right beside him, and when he swayed on his feet, Jaskier steadied him quickly, unable to do nothing other than ease his fall when his knees buckled and they sank slowly to the ground. 

"Sure you are," Jaskier wheezed with the effort. "You seem great." 

"I only need a moment." 

"You need a lot more than that," Jaskier snapped, "but we'll start with a full night's rest and a hot meal. When you can walk back to the inn, I'll get you something to eat. " 

"I can walk now—"

"You can barely stand," he curtailed. "I'll decide when you're ready, so don't bother arguing."

Geralt raised an eyebrow, half in amusement he'd never admit to and half in annoyance that he very much still felt during almost every conversation with Jaskier. 

"You're domineering today." 

Jaskier bit down on a smile. "Well, until you start to care about your own wellbeing, I'm left to do it for you. It's an exhausting job, by the way, and it never ends. I should be compensated thusly. I'm thinking my next ale should be on your coin." 

"Not a chance, bard." He was leaned with his back against Jaskier's chest and not pulling away. Jaskier couldn't tell if that meant that he finally considered him a friend, or if he was just simply too injured to do so, but Geralt was warm enough to keep him from shivering against the cool night's air, so he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and start analyzing it. If he pointed it out, Geralt would surely pull away, probably refuse to talk to him for a few days.

It was taking a while, and sometimes Geralt's moods seemed impossible to understand, but Jaskier was beginning to learn how to read between the lines of what Geralt said to find the things he didn't say; learning to wordlessly give what Geralt had never learned to ask for. Even when he guessed correctly what Geralt needed—especially then—, Geralt would be angry, anyway, so for once, he held his tongue in favor of enjoying the silence of the night. 


End file.
